Introduction
On 24 May 1995, CIA’s Center for the Study of Intelligence (CSI) concluded a day-and-a-half conference on satellite intelligence at George Washington University. Cosponsored with GWU’s Space Policy Institute, the conference–entitled “Piercing the Curtain: CORONA and the Revolution in Intelligence”– marked a significant event in CIA’s efforts to provide more information to the American public.
At that conference, CIA released a 362-page document collection with introductory essays.
Preparation of that document was in and of itself a major feat, requiring the concerted efforts of many Intelligence Community and CIA components. This is the story of that effort.